Gator suspected of attacking 90-year-old woman caught, with bullet hole in the head

An alligator, suspected of being the same one that attacked 90-year-old Margaret Webb in Copeland on Wednesday, was captured on Monday by Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission officials. The gator was found injured in Copeland with a bullet wound in its head - the same area where Webb's neighbor shot the attacking alligator. Photographed Sept. 5, 2011. Contributed by the FWC.

Photo contributed by FWC

Nearly a week after an alligator attacked and bit the leg of a 90-year-old Copeland woman near her home, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officials believe they've found the culprit.

A alligator "strongly suspected" of an unprovoked attack on Margaret Webb near a canal in her yard on Wednesday was captured alive Monday morning, according to Gabriella Ferraro, a spokeswoman for FWC. The gator was found lethargic with a bullet wound in its head on a Copeland road.

Webb, who Copeland residents say is beloved by her community, remains in critical condition at Lee Memorial as of Monday, according to hospital officials.

Webb barely escaped the initial attack, only to be rescued by neighbor Dwain Daniels.

Daniels found Webb in distress as he drove by her house. When he came to assist Webb, the gator reemerged from the canal. Daniels drew a gun and put a bullet in its head.

Though officials believed the reptile wouldn't survive the gunshot, reports of an injured alligator in Copeland came into FWC officials Monday morning, Ferraro wrote in a news release. The gator they found was believed to have been hit by a car.

The bullet wound, the gator's proximity to Webb's house and the fact that the gator was the same size of the one that assailed Webb indicated the creature was probably the attacker, wrote Ferraro in a news release.

FWC officials are continuing to investigate to confirm whether they have, in fact, found the aggressor.